Revitalizing Overlooked Communities: Glamping Pioneer - Hashimura Kazunori

"RISING"

"Revitalizing Overlooked Communities"
Glamping Pioneer - Hashimura Kazunori

Some 130 kilometers from Tokyo, surrounded by towering peaks,

is the town of Minakami, Gunma Prefecture.

Here, chopping firewood, we find Hashimura Kazunori,

operator of a local camping ground.

The first pillar of our service is providing the chance

to enjoy the great outdoors with guaranteed safety and peace of mind.

A mother, daughter, granddaughter trio arrive on site,

though they seem to be traveling rather light for a camping trip.

But then, this is no ordinary camping ground.

Semi-permanent tents on site means there's no need to put up your own,

while inside, comfy beds mean you don't even need to bring your own sleeping bag.

This is our third time.

We came last winter and... Was it autumn?

- Yeah, autumn.
- Autumn.

Other essential camping items are also provided on site.

I wasn't confident we could put up a tent ourselves.

Plus, here they also sort out all your supper and breakfast and so on.

Our kids said that they wanted to spend a day camping.

But we don't really have much experience of all that.

So we thought we'd look for something kind of similar

and that's how we found this place.

In Japan too, camping has surged in popularity during the pandemic.

And this facility enables even rookie campers to get a taste of the outdoor life.

Food and drink for guests is all inclusive.

So you can just take out as much as you want to drink

from over here.

The site even relieves guests of the need to bring their own drinks and barbecue ingredients,

while staff are also on hand to help with the tricky task of getting fires started...

leaving guests to enjoy the fun part of barbecuing for themselves.

You can even cook rice in a military style mess kit.

Yum, nice and chewy.

And tonight's specialty is local premium beef.

- Oh, that's good.
- Wow, it is good!

Tasty and fun! It's emotional.

Even complete camping novices can quickly get into the swing

of enjoying the great outdoors.

It was lovely to wake up to the sound of bush warblers.

But while this spot is now a popular glamping site...

This whole area used to be... how can I put it?

Wild, like a jungle.

Until just a few short years ago,

it was mere scrubland owned by a major railway operator.

The site abuts Doai train station

where one platform is in a tunnel hewn deep in the bowels of the mountains.

From here, disembarking passengers face a serious climb

to the station building 70 meters above their heads.

The only way up is via 486 steps,

like climbing a 20-story building.

Here goes...

We made it.

I gave it my all, despite my age.

Once upon a time, this station was a popular transit point for mountain climbers.

But due to an increase in hikers accessing the mountains by road,

since 1985, the station has been mostly unstaffed.

Gradually reclaimed by nature,

the surrounding property became a drain on the railway operator's resources.

And while they searched for ways to make productive use of this land...

No businesses stepped in to make use of the land.

So, while it's a characterful station,

I think years went by with no viable options in sight.

Things finally changed in 2019

when the railway company held a contest inviting creative submissions

on how to use the land.

One respondent drawn in by the allure of this unusual location

was Hashimura Kazunori.

Unstaffed stations are great,

because for trains to come and go,

they have power and other infrastructure.

You can get here without a car,

and most unstaffed stations are surrounded by epic nature.

All that's a bonanza for us.

I realized that it would be great to turn this unstaffed station into a glamping ground,

and I submitted my idea to the contest.

The judges were astonished by Hashimura's proposal.

He insisted that the more remote the location,

the more guests would come.

My colleagues and external partners weren't sure about that,

but we all agreed it could be great if it worked out.

Hashimura's idea was selected,

and development work began around Doai Station.

But they soon ran into a significant hurdle.

You get a lot of snow here.

It's very green in summer,

but in winter, it's just pure white.

At year's end, local temperatures plunge,

bringing snowfalls of over two meters.

But Hashimura saw the potential in catering to winter visitors.

In Japan you can enjoy four seasons.

Snow brings its hazards, but it can also be used for various activities.

One anti-snow measure is these cutting-edge tents.

Here we are.

They were the brainchild of Nagoya Institute of Technology's Kitagawa Keisuke,

a professor in the architecture department.

The original concept was a tent to be used as emergency housing

in the face of Japan's frequent natural disasters.

We blow them up like a balloon.

And then while they're still inflated,

we go inside and spray the interior surface with insulating foam.

The polyurethane foam coating on the interior wall

gives these tents remarkable heat retention.

February 2020 saw the trial launch of the glamping site around Doai Station.

At first, I was a little worried that the tents might warp or crack under the weight of the snow,

but trials showed they were fine.

The conical shape prevents snow from gathering on the roof,

while the circular outline also helps to resist strong winds.

They're lovely and warm in winter.

And such calendar-round comfort

now sees the site attract up to 900 visitors a year.

Besides the campsite itself,

Hashimura has also given the station building a new lease of life.

He transformed the former ticket office into a cafe...

complete with various items left behind from its functional days.

Youngsters find this stuff novel,

while to older people it's nostalgic.

So there's something for everyone,

from nostalgia to novelty.

Seven or eight years ago, I came here for some solo mountain climbing,

and it was pretty dingy back then.

I was rather surprised to see it all looking so stylish.

Meanwhile, both the cafe and the glamping site

use produce from this local grocer...

So, that's one cabbage.

And ten courgettes.

much of which is also grown locally.

This corn goes to crop auctions as a local specialty.

Since the glamping site opened, I've been delivering regular orders.

- Thanks very much.
- Thank you.

The site's staff too, were actively recruited from local young people.

I grew up in Minakami.

And I thought working here was a chance

for me to contribute to my community.

Until recently, I would have struggled to recommend things to do around here,

but it's really revitalized the whole area.

And I hope this transformation can continue to spread.

Some even chose to move here from further afield.

At first, I just used to come here to take it easy

somewhere close to Tokyo,

but with lots of nature.

But then I heard about this new cafe and everything,

learned about the company,

and decided to move here.

And the creation of new jobs has helped revitalize the area.

Thank you.

- Can you take a picture of us?
- Sure.

That's great!

First, we're going to have a paddle in the river.

And it's a nice day, so we might ride the Mount Tanigawa cable car.

Then the hot spring.

This patch of land that was once a burden to its owners

has been reborn as a valuable visitor attraction.

If we want to take this site to the next level,

the easiest way is to energize the local town.

If Minakami is on the up,

then that benefits us too.

130 kilometers southwest of Tokyo

lies Nishi-Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

This was the site of Hashimura Kazunori's first glamping enterprise.

Long time no see! Looking good!

This guy's a local farmer.

Hey there! Keep it up!

Having grown up in rural Saga Prefecture,

Hashimura moved to Tokyo for college.

After graduation, he got involved in the cut-and-thrust

of launching an IT startup in the capital.

And to escape from the stress,

he began to seek out camping grounds in locations far from the beaten track.

When I was working in Tokyo,

it was tough for me to be so far from nature.

And it made me realize that I just wasn't cut out for that life.

On days off, he drove far and wide

looking for new places to soothe his soul.

I would get myself on coastal roads

and just drive around

hunting for secluded coves surrounded by mountains.

And that's how I discovered Nishi-Izu.

This spot in Nishi-Izu was one such discovery.

Now it's all grass down there,

but that's because I cleared it.

Back then, it was like a jungle.

But I saw the cove,

and I thought it looked like it might be pretty flat down there.

So I climbed down over there.

Right there.

It's just a sheer cliff all the way down,

but I took out a rope and climbed down

until I got to the bottom.

Determined to turn the site into a camping ground,

he resigned from his IT job.

But soon after, he was diagnosed with cancer.

Even I couldn't help but get a bit down about it.

I was worried.

But realizing that death could come at any time

made me embrace life more.

That's when I resolved to make sure I did all the things I wanted.

After two months of radiotherapy, he was back on his feet.

He leased the land from its owner

and spent the next two years or so clearing it by himself.

Then finally, in 2011,

he opened his first glamping site in this secluded seaside location.

Hey there. Sorry to interrupt.

Today's guests are a group of 10 former high school classmates.

- What year are you in?
- I'm in my second year of college.

It's great to have you here again.

This is your second time, right?

This is the group's second visit in six months.

We wanted to check out a deserted island,

so we looked into it and found this place.

Not quite a desert island but it's close.

And it's one group at a time,

so you can relax and have fun.

Surrounded on three sides by cliffs, guests arrive at the site by boat.

And though reservations are restricted to one group at a time,

there's accommodation for anything from six to 200 people.

- Make as much noise as you want!
- Thanks very much.

There's even a sauna heated with a woodburning stove.

- Getting hot!
- Blimey!

Next, for a cool bath by the sea.

Chilly!

Hashimura has transformed this neglected spot

into a unique travel destination.

Surrounded by nature with no one else to bother you,

you can hang out with close friends.

To me, that's the height of luxury.

The buzz the site created drew around 800 visitors in its first year.

And nowadays, it gets some 3,000 guests a year.

And having activated this once-overlooked tourist resource,

Hashimura now fields enquiries from local governments and other bodies nationwide,

eager to revitalize their own communities.

In 2021, he turned a patch of former farmland left fallow

for half a century into another glamping site.

And in the same year, he also relaunched this shuttered hot spring hotel.

In the seaside town of Shimoda, also in Shizuoka Prefecture,

he is tackling another sort of problem.

For two years, these beachside shops and restaurants

saw opening hours slashed by the pandemic.

And even now that normal operation has been resumed,

visitor numbers have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

For a few years now,

we've been seeing a decline in avid beachgoers.

Of course, there is a subset who do come every year,

but we've really struggled to expand that base.

And as a result,

this year has seen another summer of disappointing visitor numbers.

Local officials reached out to Hashimura for advice.

But what will he suggest?

We need to create seasonal ways to enjoy the sea year-round, not just in summer.

Summer's always been the bulk of your annual earnings,

but let's spread that out.

Hashimura's idea is to promote the beach as a place

to enjoy in winter as well as summer.

Winter gets cold, but there's lots of clear days.

So as long as you deal with the cold and the wind,

there's this lovely backdrop,

so you can enjoy a meal while taking in the seaside view.

Perhaps a barbecue grill-style cafe and restaurant

to enjoy in the afternoon as well as the evening.

It might take a bit of time.

Hashimura's suggestion exceeds

local mayor Kusuyama Shunsuke's expectations.

The plan is to create Japan's first great year-round beach cafe,

and I'd like Hashimura to help us do that.

Let's see how it turns out.

And here too, a year-round glamping site

is part of the proposal to rejuvenate the area.

A week later and Hashimura is 860 kilometers

west-southwest of Tokyo in Ukiha, Fukuoka Prefecture.

We join him on the grounds of a school on the outskirts of the village.

This former elementary school has been closed since 2018.

Having opened in 1972 with a student body of over 100 children,

it was finally forced out of commission when declining birthrates

saw that number fall to fewer than 10.

But local officials are keen to find new ways to make use of the facility.

This building still has some years left in it,

so we'd like to make use of it while we can to benefit the community.

Hashimura reached out to them with a proposal to turn the school

and its grounds into a glamping facility.

We'll lose the fence and swings and so on.

Maybe thin out the trees a bit.

And install a wood deck that you can follow down to the river.

The plan is to turn the schoolyard into a glamping site with automobile access,

as well as a sauna on the banks of the adjoining stream.

Another natural feature they plan to leverage is the fireflies

that gather round the stream in early summer.

Inside the school building,

they plan to renovate various rooms in keeping with their former use.

This science room will be a shared kitchen.

Where camping guests can cook their own meals.

Meanwhile, on the roof...

We can use this for stargazing.

Hashimura is overflowing with ideas.

But there are various challenges to overcome before they can become reality.

We have the rough outline in mind, but when it comes to realizing that,

I think rules and regulations may get in the way.

So it's a question of how we can overcome those together.

They also invited some former students

to get their thoughts on the proposed redevelopment.

I wonder if it's OK to press this.

These two used to operate the school address system.

Good morning, students and staff.

Let's give our all to the day's exercise and study.

- That's it.
- Really takes me back.

But what do they think about the glamping site concept?

I think it will be great if they can preserve this place

and attract lots of visitors.

It will be good if people can come here again.

As a former school,

it'll be great if local people and former students

can relive those memories

and bring their own children here to let them share in that too.

And even for those with no personal connections,

I hope we can leverage the school building

and make it into a place for kids to come.

Hashimura's plan is to move forward while respecting the wishes of former students.

And having started out as a personal hobby,

his glamping business continues to revitalize regional communities

by uncovering fresh value in neglected locations.

The value of these places is often overlooked.

But a change in perspective and approach

can uncover that buried treasure.